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There’s something magical about great sweet wines. I’m not talking about your run-of-the-mill, sugary, supermarket specials but the hand-made heavyweights in half-bottles that will set you back at least $30. That may seem like a lot of money for a syrupy 375mls but I suspect few winemakers make a profit on their stickies.

Why do they make them if they’re going to lose money?

Because they can

Because they love them as much as I do

Imagine you are a cheese maker. For 364 days a year you churn out good cheese. But on one day each year when the moon is full, the grass lush and your cows are extra happy you are able to make a cheese that’s better than all the rest. Would you mix it in with your regular cheese? Of course not. You’d keep it separate and share it with your best customers to show them what great cheese was all about.

It’s the same with winemakers. They can only make great sweet wine when vineyard conditions allow. When that happens they make the most of it even if they have to sell it at a loss. Great sweet wine is a rare and wonderful thing.

I’ve heard it said that wine contains pheromones. If that’s true then the most concentrated wines contain the most pheromones. Could that explain the deep sense of well-being, the broad smile and Zen-like sense of peacefulness that I get when I taste a great sticky?

The cynical among you will say it’s the alcohol and not the wine that’s inducing a sense of well-being. You’re wrong. Sweet wine has a relatively low alcohol – most of the stickies in my list are around 8% which is not much stronger than beer. The best and most concentrated sweet wines are packed in 375ml bottles, only slightly larger than most beer bottles.

I reckon its pheromones.

How sweet wine is made

Intensely sweet wine is mostly made by allowing the grapes to rot – slowly. If they rot quickly they will split and turn to vinegar.

How do you get grapes to rot slowly? If you’re a winemaker in Sauternes, the Mosel Valley or Tokay (regions famous for making top sweet wine) you simply wait for the mist to rise off a nearby lake or river creating the sort of moist conditions that, like bathroom ceilings, will stimulate the growth of mould. One mould, botrytis cinerea, can slowly desiccate the grapes until they become raisin-like with intense flavours and concentrated sugar levels.

In this country our vineyard areas aren’t particularly misty so the smart grape growers switch on the mould using overhead sprinklers.

Botrytis mould is capable of more than doubling normal sugar levels in grapes. It has a similar concentrating effect on flavours.

Making sense of sweet wine labels

Moderately sweet wines can be made by simply leaving the grapes to ripen for a longer period on the vines to increase sugar levels. Many, but not all, will have a honey-like botrytis influence although this is not particularly dominant. Check the alcohol level. If it’s over 11% the wine is unlikely to be extremely sweet. Riesling is the most popular grape variety although Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscat and Chardonnay are all candidates. Words that are likely to indicate a moderate level of sweetness include:

Late harvest

Spaetlese (German for late harvest)

Very sweet wines must rely on the concentrating effects of botrytis to reach high levels of sugar and flavour. They tend to be more syrupy and have honey or caramel flavours that can dominate the normally distinctive flavours of the grape. In some cases they cease to be varietal wines because the varietal character of the grape tends to be swamped by the flavours of botrytis. Alcohol levels tend to be below 10% although there can be exceptions. Words that indicate a high level of sweetness are:

Noble

Botrytised

Bunch selection (only the most rot-affected bunches are picked)

Auslese (a German term for bunch selection)

Berry selection (only the most rotten berries are picked to yield very sweet juice)

Beerenauslese (a German term for berry selection)

Ice wine (only frozen berries are picked to produce very sweet juice, although in this country it can also mean that the grape juice is frozen in the tank to remove water and increase sugar content)

Moderately Sweet

Most of these wines can be enjoyed well chilled as an aperitif or with food that is slightly sweet, even though the sweetness may be masked by spiciness. They are, for example, a great match with Thai curries. Moderate sweetness is always supported by good acidity. These wines may seem quite sweet initially but within ten seconds the acidity starts to build so that they often finish fairly dry.

If you know someone who says they don’t like sweet wines give them a glass of Peregrine 2008 Charcoal Riesling (tastings) – it just might be a life-changing experience.

Sweet

These unashamedly sweet wines need to be matched with moderately sweet foods – make sure that the wine is sweeter than the dish as sweetness in food tends to reduce our impression of sweetness in the accompanying wine. Anticipate that drop in sweetness by choosing a wine that’s sweeter than the food.

Stickies

These are the heavy-hitters of the sweet wine brigade. Big, often syrupy wines that need to be matched with sweet foods. Desserts based on white chocolate are an inspired match.

They can of course be enjoyed without the complication of food. Next time you have a dinner party instead of serving a dessert dish bring out a well chilled bottle from my following list. You could make it even better by offering white truffles as an accompaniment.

Remember, these are highly concentrated wines. One 375ml bottle can satiate the senses of half a dozen dinner guests.

About the authorBob Campbell MW

Bob Campbell MW was the second wine writer in the world (after Jancis Robinson) to become a Master of Wine. He estimates tasting over 100,000 wines since he began to formally record tasting notes.
He is regarded as "Mr New Zealand Wine" within New Zealand and around the globe. BobCampbell.nz offers access to Bob's latest wine reviews, news and opinions.